Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns 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 because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
