Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
