'Was That Not a Show?' Why a 48-Hour Fixture Remained Every Bit a Proper Test.

Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a success.

Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.

The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.

The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.

There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in each.

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

"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.

Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.

Ultimately, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.

Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.