Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
