'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a 48-Hour Match Was No Less a Genuine Test Match.

In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.

It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.

The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.

The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas 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 established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.

This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience made during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The True Test

Some factors are embraced more freely than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.

There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.

That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither ideal, yet value can be found in each.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.

"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.

The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.

Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.

Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.