In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
