Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
