In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
