In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
