Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting 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 Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
