Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the patience made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
