Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
