Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
