Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
