Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
