Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.