Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
