Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation 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 dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
