Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
