Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized 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 endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
