Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
