'Was That Not a Show?' Why a Shortened Test Was No Less a Authentic Test.

Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a major hit.

It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.

The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

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

The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.

If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

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

It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Having a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience devoted elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Some factors are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.

That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.

"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The players responded for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.

Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.

Ultimately, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.

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