Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
