Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
