Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music 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 dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
