Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
