Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
