Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers 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 reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
