'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a 48-Hour Fixture Remained Every Bit a Genuine Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.

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

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

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

The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.

Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.

The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience made during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The True Test

Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

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

In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.

That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in both.

At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.

"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.

Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.

Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.