Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
