'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a 48-Hour Fixture Was No Less a Genuine Test.

Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.

It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.

The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.

Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the time made elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Core Skill

Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.

There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.

That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to each.

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

"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.

Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.

In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.

Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.