In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate 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 great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
