Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
