In a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
