'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a Shortened Test Remained Every Bit a Proper Test.

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.

You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.

The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.

The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.

If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

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

Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience made in other matches.

Adaptation: The True Test

Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.

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

The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.

That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.

"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.

Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.