Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core 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 long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
