In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.