Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
