Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
