In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
