'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a 48-Hour Test Remained Every Bit a Proper Cricket Test.

Within a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.

You might not like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.

The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.

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

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.

The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time devoted in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.

The contention in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

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

In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.

There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.

That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.

At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.

"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.

The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.

Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.

At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

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