In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
