In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
