Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
