Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
