Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
