Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
