Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
