Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
