Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
