Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature 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 outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip 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 taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. 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 all the more thrilling due to the time made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
