'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Two-Day Fixture Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Test.

Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.

The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.

The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Having a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet value can be found in both.

At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.

New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.

In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.

Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.