Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
