In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion 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 diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
