Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
