Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
