Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
