'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a 48-Hour Test Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Test Match.

Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.

You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.

The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.

The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.

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

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.

Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

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

Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience made in other matches.

Adaptation: The Core Skill

Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.

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

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in each.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.

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

New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.

Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.

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