Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
