In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.