Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
