Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
