Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
