In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: 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 damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
