Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
