In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
