Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
