In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
