Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
