Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
