Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.