In a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
