Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of 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 wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: 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 created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
