Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
