'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Two-Day Test Remained Every Bit a Authentic Test Match.

In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.

Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.

The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.

The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket

The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.

The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.

This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.

Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made elsewhere.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.

There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.

Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.

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 the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

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

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

Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.

At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.

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

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