Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
