In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
