Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
