Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
