In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum 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 elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
