Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
