In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
