In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
