Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
