Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
