Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a success.
You might not enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
