Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
