Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a success.
You might not like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
