Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
