Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
