'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a 48-Hour Test Remained Every Bit a Authentic Test.

Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.

You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.

The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle

The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

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

The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.

The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time made in other matches.

Adaptation: The True Test

Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

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

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.

There was hope as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.

"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.

Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

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

Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.