In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
