Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
