In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
