In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
