'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a Two-Day Test Remained Every Bit a Genuine Test Match.

In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a major hit.

Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.

The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.

Having excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the time committed elsewhere.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.

In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.

That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to each.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.

"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.

New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.

Ultimately, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.

Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.