In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
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 justification of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
