Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack surged, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
