Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
