In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
