Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
