In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
