Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
