Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
