Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. 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 suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
