Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the time devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
