In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
