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

Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.

Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.

The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.

The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the patience made in other matches.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Some factors are accepted more freely than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View

Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.

There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.

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 damp squib.

That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.

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

Different players performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.

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