'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Test Remained Every Bit a Genuine Test.

In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.

It's possible you enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.

The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even five-day cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.

The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.

If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.

This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed elsewhere.

Adaptation: The True Test

Some factors are embraced more freely than others.

The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective

Try telling the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.

There was belief as the attack surged, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.

That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.

At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.

"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead

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

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

Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.

In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.

Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.