Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
