In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.