Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
