Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
