Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
