In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
