Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
