In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
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 celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
