Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
