Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
