Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
