In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
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 middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
