Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
