Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
