'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Two-Day Match Was No Less a Proper Test Match.

In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are awful.

The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.

The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.

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

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.

The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time made elsewhere.

Adjustment: The True Test

Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.

The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

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

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.

There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to them.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.

The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.

Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.

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