'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Two-Day Test Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.

It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.

The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.

If the long game is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.

Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the time made elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.

There was belief as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.

At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.

"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.

Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.