Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game 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 victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
