In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
