Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the time made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
