Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.