'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a Shortened Fixture Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test Match.

In a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.

You might not like his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.

The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.

The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Some factors are embraced more readily than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.

There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.

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

"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.

Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.

Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.

Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.