Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
