Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
