Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when batters fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
