Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
