Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
