In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
