Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG 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 problem solving – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One side 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 experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
