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

Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.

Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.

The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.

The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Having a thick layer on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.

The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.

The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.

That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The team responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.

New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own celebrations.

Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.