In a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
