In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
