Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
