Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
