In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you 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 poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
