Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
