Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
