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

Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.

It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.

The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.

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

If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.

"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.

Different players performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.

In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to begin their own celebrations.

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