Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
