Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art 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 outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip 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 drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
