Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
