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

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.

You might not enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.

The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.

This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.

Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.

The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The True Test

Some factors are accepted more freely than others.

The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.

That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in both.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

The team responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.

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

At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.

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