Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
