In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
