In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
