Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
