'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Two-Day Test Was No Less a Proper Test.

Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.

You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.

The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.

The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time made elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Core Skill

Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.

The contention in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.

The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.

New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.

As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.

Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.