Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
