In a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
