Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
