Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format 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 spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
