Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
