Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
