Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
