Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
