Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
