Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel 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 illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
