Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
