'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Test Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test Match.

Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.

You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.

The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.

The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.

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

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.

The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.

The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience made elsewhere.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.

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

This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.

There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.

That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to them.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.

"Far from being the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

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

New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.

At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.

Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.