Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
