Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
