Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the time committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
