Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.