In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
