Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
