In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
