Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
