Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
