Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
