Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
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 canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
