Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order responded, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
