Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, 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 time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
