In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
