Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
