Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.