Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
