In a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
