In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
