In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate 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 hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end 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: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
