In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
