In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core 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.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
