Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
