Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
