Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
