Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
