Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
