Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
