Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a success.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation 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 traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
