Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
