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

In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.

You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.

The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even Test cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.

The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.

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

A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match

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

This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.

Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

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

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Core Skill

Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.

There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to both.

Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.

"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

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

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

New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in meaningless games.

As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.

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