'Was That Not a Show?' Why a 48-Hour Fixture Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test Match.

Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.

Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.

The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.

If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

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

The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are even more exciting because of the investment committed during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The True Test

Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.

The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.

The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.

There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.

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

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

At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in meaningless games.

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

Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.