In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
