Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation 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 players congregated on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
