Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
