'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Shortened Test Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test.

Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.

You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.

The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.

The climate, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.

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

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the time made during quieter periods.

Adjustment: The True Test

Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited

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

Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.

There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.

That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to each.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.

"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.

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

Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.

Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.