Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
