Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
