In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides 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 second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence 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.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the time made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
