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

Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.

You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.

The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.

The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

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

Adaptation: The True Test

Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.

The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in each.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

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

Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.

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

As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.

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