Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team responded for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
