Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
