Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the field to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
