Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
