Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
