Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
