Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
