Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
