In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, momentum when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
