In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, 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 exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
