'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a Two-Day Fixture Remained Every Bit a Proper Cricket Test.

In a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.

It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.

The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.

The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.

If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.

Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

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

The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the time devoted in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

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

The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.

Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.

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