Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
