In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
