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

Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.

It's possible you enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.

The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.

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

If the long game is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment made elsewhere.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.

The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.

The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.

"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.

New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.

Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.