Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
