Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
