Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
