Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core 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 wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
