Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
