Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
