Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
