Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, 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 even more exciting due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
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 Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
