In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack surged, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
