Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
