'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a 48-Hour Fixture Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test.

Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.

Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.

The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.

The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.

This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.

Having excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.

The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.

There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.

That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.

"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.

Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.

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

As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.

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