Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: 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, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
