In a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely 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.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
