'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Shortened Fixture Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.

Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.

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

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

If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the time committed during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.

The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

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

There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.

"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.

Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.

At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

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