Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
