In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
