Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
