In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
