Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
