Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, 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 all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
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 best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
