Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
