In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.
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 dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
