Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
