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

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.

You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.

The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.

The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

This is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.

Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

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

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The close matches are even more exciting due to the time devoted during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

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

There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.

That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.

"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his face.

Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.

At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.

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