Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
