Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
