In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
