'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a Two-Day Match Was No Less a Proper Cricket Test.

Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.

The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.

The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time made during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Some factors are embraced more freely than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.

There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.

That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to both.

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

"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.

The team protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.

Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.

In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.

Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.