In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed 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 Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.