Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
