Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
