In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
