'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a Shortened Match Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test.

Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit performed in by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.

You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.

The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.

The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.

If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.

Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment committed during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Some factors are embraced more freely than others.

The contention in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.

That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.

At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.

"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his face.

New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.

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

As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.