Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
