Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a success.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
