Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
