In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the time committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
