In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
