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

Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.

The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.

The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.

If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.

Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The True Test

Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

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

The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.

New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.

Ultimately, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.