In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
