Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
