'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a Two-Day Test Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Cricket Test.

In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.

Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.

The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed elsewhere.

Adaptation: The True Test

Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.

That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in both.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.

"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.

Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.

In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.