Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
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. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
