Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
