Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
