In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
