Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
