In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
