In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
