Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
