Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
