Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
