Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature 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.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
