In a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
