Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
