Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.