'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a 48-Hour Fixture Was No Less a Authentic Test Match.

Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.

The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.

The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.

If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.

This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment committed elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.

The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.

In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.

That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to them.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.

"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.

New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.

In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.