Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like 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 central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
