Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, 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 footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
