Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
