Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
