In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
