Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
