Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
