In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
