Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a success.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
