Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
