Within a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
