Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
