In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
