Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
