Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
