Almanac Cricket: René Magritte and Jasprit and the young pup in the wake of the BGT

It’s been a big month. The Adelaide Test and all the attendant periphery, family Christmas followed by a ‘cultural’ tour to Sydney for the New Year Test, exhibitions at the Museum and Art Gallery and an important celebration with family and friends.

I am no expert in matters of visual art or history but it is always good to learn more. The Machu Picchu (Peru), Rene Magritte and Cao Fei (China) exhibitions were spectacular and all worthy of separate reviews.

However I will confine this mainly to the cricket – and Magritte.

“René and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the war” is a song by Paul Simon.
The surreal lyrics invoke images of the artist René and his wife Georgette and pay homage to doo-wop groups such as the Moonglows, the Orioles and the Five Satins, groups that are obvious favorites of Simon.

The song is re-titled and re-imaged here as:
“René Magritte and Jasprit and the young pup in the wake of the BGT”.

Surrealism: The challenge of reality by the depiction of irrational ideas filled with surprising features.

Artworks by the surrealist René Magritte are at present featured at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His classic work The Treachery of Images or “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (This is not a pipe) is on display.

 

 

Image: Wikipedia

It is not a pipe. It is in fact an image of a pipe.

The bowling arts of the Indian surrealist Jasprit Bumrah have been on display across the land since November. His classic work, The Treachery of Images II or “this is not an inswinger”.

This is not an inswinger. But it may be.

When he dismissed Marnus Labuschagne in the first innings of the Sydney Test, not far from the Art Gallery of NSW, Bumrah had taken 32 wickets (46%) of the 69 taken by the Indian team in the current series.

The entry of young pup Sam Konstas onto the Test scene was also surreal with ramp shots and smashing slogs over the infield. In the opening overs.
Off Bumrah, no less.

Konstas obviously has a keen eye but there has been little of the “exemplary technique and text book cover drives” that marked his triple figure success innings in Sheffield Shield matches earlier in the year.

That ABC rugby commentator and lately Boof’s best mate, the one who yells a lot when describing cricket on the radio, has described Konstas’s batting as  prodigious (which it was not) and audacious (which it probably was).

And the young pup apparently had a lot to say. A yapping puppy (no disrespect intended). Australian coach Andrew McDonald muttered about the “intimidation” of Konstas by the Indian team. One could suggest that a coach of some experience might have taken the young pup aside for a chat or, failing that, book him in for an interview with one of the myriad support staff that exists around the team. The one with “Team psychologist” emblazoned on his track suit top. Failing that, ring Ian Chappell.

Australian cricket may need another Warner but there are some aspects of the approach adopted by that Australian icon that could well be avoided.

It was a great Test series. We attended enthralling days at the Adelaide Oval and the Sydney Cricket Ground. Wonderful crowds. It would take an exceptional landscape artist to capture the colours of the Adelaide sky at sunset with the scoreboard and ground illuminated by the towering overhead lights or the vibrant colours of the supporters in Sydney, the blue of the Indian contingent and the McGrath pink contrasting with the white and beige outfits of the 248 Richies.

Given the success of the series and the re-enhancement of Test cricket as opposed to any other form, Cricket Australia, the SACA and the SCG Trust deserve to be congratulated.

However, two factors cannot be overlooked. CA erred mightily at the presentation ceremony in the poor treatment meted out to Sunil Gavaskar, whose name is on the trophy. Secondly, woeful first day preparation and planning by the SACA meant patrons spent an inordinate time queuing for food and drink. Despite this, CEO Charlie Hodgson waxed lyrical about the crowd, the spectacle, the absorbing cricket blah blah blah. Another example of the challenge of reality.

 

 

To read more by Peter Crossing click here.

 

 

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