Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
