'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Two-Day Fixture Was No Less a Authentic Test Match.

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.

It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.

The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket

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

The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are even more exciting due to the time made in other matches.

Problem Solving: The True Test

Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Try telling the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.

That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.

"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

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

The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.

New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.

Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.

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