Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
