'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a 48-Hour Test Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test.

Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.

It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.

The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.

The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.

The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time made in other matches.

Adjustment: The Core Skill

Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.

"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.

Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.

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