Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
