Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
