Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea 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 still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
