'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a 48-Hour Match Deserved Its Status as a Genuine Test.

Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit donned by the pop star. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.

You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.

The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create music or even five-day cricket.

The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.

The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.

If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.

An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match

The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.

It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the contest.

Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.

A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.

Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment devoted elsewhere.

Adjustment: The Real Challenge

Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.

The debate in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.

This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.

Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited

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

In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.

There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.

Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches

The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in them.

At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.

"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."

Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope

In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.

The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.

Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.

Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.

As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to start their own festivities.

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