Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.