Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated 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 playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
