Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.