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

In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a success.

Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

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

The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment made elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

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

Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.

There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.

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

Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.

Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.

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