Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
