Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
