Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together 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 series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more 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 be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
