In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing 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 lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
