Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.