Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
