'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Fixture Deserved Its Status as a Proper Test.

In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.

You might not appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.

The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game

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

The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.

If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.

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

Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket

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

The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

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

Adjustment: The Core Skill

Some factors are embraced more readily than others.

The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective

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

Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.

That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to each.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.

"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.

New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.

Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.