In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to 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 the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
