Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.