In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken 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 inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
