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

In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.

It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.

The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even five-day cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.

The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.

This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.

The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment devoted elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Some factors are embraced more readily than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.

That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

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

The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.

New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.

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

Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.