Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy 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 fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
