In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
