'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a Two-Day Match Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Test Match.

Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.

Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.

The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.

The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the investment committed elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Some factors are accepted more easily than others.

The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to both.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.

"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.

New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to develop from.

At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.

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