'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a 48-Hour Test Remained Every Bit a Genuine Test Match.

In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.

You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.

The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.

This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.

Having excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment made in other matches.

Adjustment: The True Test

Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.

That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.

"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.

Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.

In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.

Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.