In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate 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 traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
