Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
