Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
