'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a 48-Hour Match Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Test.

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.

It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are awful.

The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.

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

If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.

This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.

Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed in other matches.

Adaptation: The True Test

Specific conditions are embraced more freely 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 demonstrating their skill.

The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

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

In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.

That contest was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

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

New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.

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