Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
