Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions 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
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
