Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
