In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
