Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
