'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Two-Day Fixture Was No Less a Genuine Test.

In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.

You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.

The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.

The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.

This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted in other matches.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

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

In one section of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.

There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.

That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to them.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.

"Far from being the death of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.

Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.

As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.

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