Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
