In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
