Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
