In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
You might not like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
