In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
