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

Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.

The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Leaving a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.

The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The True Test

Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

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

That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.

"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

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

The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.

New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.

Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.

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