Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
