Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
