Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the attack excelled, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
