Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
