In a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
