In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
