Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
