'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Shortened Test Remained Every Bit a Genuine Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit worn by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.

You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.

The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

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

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

If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.

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

Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted in other matches.

Adjustment: The True Test

Some factors are accepted more readily than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.

There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.

That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.

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

"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

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

The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.

Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.

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

As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.