'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Two-Day Fixture Was No Less a Genuine Test.

Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.

It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.

The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce art or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.

The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.

If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.

Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are even more exciting due to the time committed during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.

That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in both.

At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.

"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.

The players responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.

New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.

In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.