Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
