Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
