In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core 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 varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
