Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
