Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
