In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match 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 historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
