Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
