In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
