'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a 48-Hour Test Deserved Its Status as a Proper Cricket Test.

In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.

You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.

The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.

Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment made during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The True Test

Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.

There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.

That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.

At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.

The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.

Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.

At the very least, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own festivities.

Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.