Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
