Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
