Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
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," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
