In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely 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 demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
