'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a Shortened Match Remained Every Bit a Genuine Cricket Test.

In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.

You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.

The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.

The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are even more exciting due to the time made during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.

There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.

"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.

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

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

In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.

Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.