In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
