Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
