In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
