Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
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 not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
