Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: 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 abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, 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 all the more thrilling owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
