Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest 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 short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
