Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
