Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, 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 suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
