Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
