Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
