Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
