'Was That Not a Show?' Why a 48-Hour Fixture Remained Every Bit a Authentic Cricket Test.

Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.

It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.

The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.

The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.

If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted in other matches.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.

There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in each.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.

"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.

The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.

New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.

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