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

Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.

Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.

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

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.

If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.

A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test

The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.

It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.

Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.

A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.

The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.

The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.

Problem Solving: The Core Skill

Some factors are accepted more readily than others.

The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.

Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.

Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited

Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.

Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.

There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.

Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches

The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.

That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.

Four Tests into the Ashes contest, 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," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."

Signs of Progress: Building for the Future

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

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

Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.

In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.

As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.