Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
