Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
