'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a 48-Hour Match Was No Less a Genuine Test Match.

Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a success.

It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.

The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.

The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.

Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

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

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.

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

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

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

Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.

There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

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

"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

The players delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.

New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.

At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.

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

Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.