Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
