Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
