Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
