Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the end of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
