Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests 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," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
