Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
