'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a 48-Hour Test Remained Every Bit a Genuine Test Match.

In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.

It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.

The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket

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

The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.

If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.

This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

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 inauthentic, is mistaken.

The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time made in other matches.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.

There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.

That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to them.

At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.

"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.

New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.

At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.

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