Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
