In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
