Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
