Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
