In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
