In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
