In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
