In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
