In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
