Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
