Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
