Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
