Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a success.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
