Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
