In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
