Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
