Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise 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 real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
