In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
