Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
