Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
