Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 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 idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
