'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Shortened Fixture Was No Less a Proper Test.

Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.

Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.

The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

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

The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.

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

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.

The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.

Adjustment: The True Test

Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.

There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.

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

"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

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

The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.

Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.

In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.