Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket 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 the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
