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

Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.

You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.

The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce art or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.

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

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.

The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

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

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Some factors are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View

Try telling the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of sport.

There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.

That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.

New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.

In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.

Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.