In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
