Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
