Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
