'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Shortened Test Remained Every Bit a Authentic Test.

Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.

The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.

The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.

If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.

Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

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

Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.

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

Problem Solving: The True Test

Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.

The contention in at the MCG 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 finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.

There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.

That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.

Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.

"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."

Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope

In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.

Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.

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

Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.