In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
