Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, 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 spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
