'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a 48-Hour Match Remained Every Bit a Proper Test.

Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.

The weather, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

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

This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.

Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the investment committed elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.

The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.

"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

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

The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.

Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.

At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own festivities.

Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.