'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Fixture Remained Every Bit a Proper Cricket Test.

Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit donned by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.

It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.

The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.

The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.

The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.

That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in each.

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

"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The team responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.

Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.

Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.