Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
