Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit worn by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. 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 because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
