Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip 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 the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
