Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
