Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
