Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
