Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
