Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. 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 patience committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
