Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
