Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
