Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
