Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
