Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
