Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
