Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
