'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Shortened Match Remained Every Bit a Authentic Test Match.

Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.

It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.

The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.

The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.

If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.

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

Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment made in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.

The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

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

Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.

There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

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

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

In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.