In a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
