'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a Two-Day Test Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test.

Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.

The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.

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

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.

This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Allowing a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the time committed in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be found in each.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.

"It's not the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

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

The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.

New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.

At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.

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