In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a success.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
