In a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
