'Did It Not Captivate?' The Reason a 48-Hour Match Remained Every Bit a Proper Test.

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.

It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.

The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.

The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.

If the long game is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.

Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

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

The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The True Test

Some factors are embraced more freely than others.

The argument in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

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

In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.

There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.

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

"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.

The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.

Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.