Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. 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 experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
