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

In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.

You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.

The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.

The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time committed during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.

There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.

That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to each.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.

Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.

At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.

Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.