Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
