'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a 48-Hour Fixture Was No Less a Authentic Test.

Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.

It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.

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

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.

The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.

If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.

This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.

Having a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket

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

The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment committed in other matches.

Adaptation: The True Test

Some factors are accepted more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.

The team responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.

New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.

In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.

Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.