Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: 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 squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
