Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
