'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Shortened Test Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test.

Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.

It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.

The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.

The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.

If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.

It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience made in other matches.

Adjustment: The True Test

Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in both.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.

New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.

Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.

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