Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, 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 collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
