Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature 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 format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. 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. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
