In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
