In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
