In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
