Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
