Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
