Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
