Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, 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 counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
