In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
