In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
