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

Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.

It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.

The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game

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

The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.

This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.

The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the time made during quieter periods.

Adaptation: The True Test

Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.

The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.

Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.

There was hope as the fielding side excelled, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.

Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to them.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.

New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to develop from.

Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.

Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.