In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent 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 Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
