Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
