Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
