Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
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 time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
