Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
