Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
