'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a 48-Hour Test Was No Less a Genuine Test.

In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.

The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The True Test

Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when players fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.

That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to them.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.

The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.

New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.

At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the field to start their own festivities.

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