'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Shortened Match Was No Less a Authentic Test.

Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.

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 Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.

The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.

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

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment devoted in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.

There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in them.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.

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

New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.

At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.

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