In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
