'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Two-Day Fixture Was No Less a Proper Test.

Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.

It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.

The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.

The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

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 series.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time committed elsewhere.

Adjustment: The True Test

Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.

The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.

The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.

There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in them.

At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.

"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

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

The players protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.

Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own festivities.

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