In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
