Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged 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 captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
