Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not 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 genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
