Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. 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. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
