Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
