'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Two-Day Match Was No Less a Proper Cricket Test.

Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.

It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.

The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.

If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.

Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the series.

Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.

A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket

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

The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.

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

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.

The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.

The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.

There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.

Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.

"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."

Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope

In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.

New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.

In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.

As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.

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