In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply 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 time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
