Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
