Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
