Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
