Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
