Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a success.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
