In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
