In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
