Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble donned by the pop star. 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 greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
