Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
