In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
