Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
