Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
