Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
