Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
