'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Two-Day Test Remained Every Bit a Authentic Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.

It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.

The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft art or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.

The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.

If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the investment committed in other matches.

Adaptation: The True Test

Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.

The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

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

In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.

There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.

That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.

"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.

The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.

Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.