'Was That Not a Show?' Why a 48-Hour Match Deserved Its Status as a Proper Cricket Test.

Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.

The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.

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

If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.

New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.

At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.

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