Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
