Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
