Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
