In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
