In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.