In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
