In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
