'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Shortened Fixture Remained Every Bit a Authentic Test Match.

In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a success.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.

The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.

The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

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

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.

Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Some factors are embraced more readily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.

The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.

Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.

That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in them.

At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The team protected him, restoring the smile to his face.

New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.

Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.

Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.