Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
