In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
