In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
