In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
