Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe 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 awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
