In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
