Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team 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 was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
