Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, 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 even more exciting owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
