Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
