Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
