'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Shortened Test Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test.

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.

The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

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

The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.

If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.

Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.

That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.

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

"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

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

The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.

Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.

Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.