'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a 48-Hour Fixture Remained Every Bit a Genuine Cricket Test.

Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.

You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.

The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.

The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.

It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.

The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment made elsewhere.

Adaptation: The Real Challenge

Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.

The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.

In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches

The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.

Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.

"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Small Victories: Looking Ahead

In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.

Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.

Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own festivities.

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