Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
