'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Shortened Match Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Test.

In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.

Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.

The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.

The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.

If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.

A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.

Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.

A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket

But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.

The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.

This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.

There was belief as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.

Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches

The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.

That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.

"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."

Baby Steps: Building for the Future

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

The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.

Different players delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.

In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.

As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.

Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.