Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly 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 adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: 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 celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
