'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Fixture Was No Less a Authentic Test Match.

In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit worn by the pop star. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.

You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.

The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.

The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game

Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.

The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.

If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

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

Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.

A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.

The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time devoted elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.

Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Pure Elation: The Supporters' View

Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.

There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.

Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.

"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The squad protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.

Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.

At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.

Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.